What should you do if you miss your dose of levo - Thyroid UK

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What should you do if you miss your dose of levo

lucylocks profile image
15 Replies

Hi

I always take my levo aprrox. between 5.00 and 6.00 am. then go back to sleep. I take it out the packet and put it on top of the packet before going to sleep so I don't disturb my husband by rattling the packet about. I have just found todays tablet on the bedroom floor so I obviously did not take it. We did go out for a meal last night and had far too much wine to drink so I woke up this morning and could not remember if I took it or not. I also missed a dose earlier in the week as I stayed at my daughters unexpectedly and did not have the tablets with me.

What happens when doses are missed, should you take it when you remember and then take the next one as normal or just leave it out altogether. Also would symptoms return with missing a couple of doses.

Thankyou browny

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lucylocks
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15 Replies
Moggie profile image
Moggie

If it was me I would take it when I remembered it. Levo is a storage hormone and is stored in your system for a good 6 weeks so missing a dose very occassionally wont do any harm but missing a few doses over a week could. How much are you taking? Could you not take half now and half tomorrow morning or something like that. I would say dont worry to much about it but you say that you have already missed on dose this week.

Moggie x

lucylocks profile image
lucylocks in reply toMoggie

Hi Moggie

thanks for your reply, I take 100mcg. I may have a few 25mcg. left from when I was taking 75mcg. so I may take one with the 100mcg in the morning.

Browny

Moggie profile image
Moggie in reply tolucylocks

If you take 100mcg's daily why dont you just cut last nights tablet in half, take half now and half tomorrow. You could also leave some spare tablets at your daughters just in case you do any more unexpected sleep overs.

Moggie x

lucylocks profile image
lucylocks in reply toMoggie

Thanks Moggie,

good idea

browny

marram profile image
marram in reply tolucylocks

Browny, some people find that it's not that critical, but I find if I am not regular I feel odd a few days later (around 2-3).

There was someone on here whose doc refused to believe she was actually taking her tablets because she still had symptoms so he made her take them in front of him - a whole week's dose all at once! I could not believe it!

If that happened to be I would be SO ill, but she had no ill-effects at all. I was truly amazed.

I take my Levo last thing at night - but then I don't got out much in the evenings - and if I forgot I would take them as soon as I remembered and then I would take the next dose 22 hours after that and the next 22 hours later and the next one and so on until I was back to the usual time, it might take a week to get back to normal but that would be the safest for me.

Only you know how you feel. If it is almost the whole day gone by the simplest is to miss that dose and take the next when it's due. You might feel rather sluggish a few days later but at least it won't be for long.

lucylocks profile image
lucylocks in reply tomarram

Many thanks Marram for your reply, I was going to take a bigger dose tomorrow 125mcg or 150mcg instead of the usual 100mcg but I'm not sure if thats the best thing to do so I may just take the normal dose.

browny

galathea profile image
galathea

A study was done some time ago, it.s been written about before and you can find it if you do a google search...... The outcome was that taking all the weeks dose together in one dose made very little difference and people were fine taking it that way.

.. So if you miss a t4 dose, just take it when you remember...... ItS an inert storage hormone so it shouldn't matter.

lucylocks profile image
lucylocks in reply togalathea

Many thanks for your reply

Tatty10 profile image
Tatty10 in reply togalathea

Hi why cant we all just take a weekly dose, save all that faffing about and trying to remember if youve taken it or not ?

LouiseRoberts profile image
LouiseRoberts in reply toTatty10

Everyone is different and this may not suit. We would never advise a radical change to your dosing routine without discussion with a healthcare practitioner.

L

x

galathea profile image
galathea

Here is the link to the study which was done...

jcem.endojournals.org/conte...

All the subjects in the study did fine with once a week dosing, but I am not medically qualified, so cannot advise you to take meds once a week. If I did, and it went wrong for you, you could sue me.

You can read the paper, discuss it with your doctor, and then dose once a week if your doctor thinks its a good idea, or you can go it alone,

Xx

Hazdaz profile image
Hazdaz

I find the best way to remember if I have taken them in the morning is to remove them from the packet the night before

hubbys idea - works for me

lucylocks profile image
lucylocks

Many thanks for all your replies

Best wishes browny

Margaret profile image
Margaret

I always put mine in the lid of the T3 with the 125 mg of levo every night before i get into bed then usually take them about 6 in the morning if they are still there when my husband gets up about 7.30 he reminds me that way I don't forget, the other thing I do is carry some in my handbag as have to take t3 in the afternoon as well so it usually doesn't matter where I go I have always got them with me.

Piedo profile image
Piedo in reply toMargaret

Hi I find the best way to remember is to use a pill box.

I fill it at beginning of week and take my tablet about 6am each day I check each day to make sure I have remembered to take it

If I go away.i take pill box with me also keep a few thyroxine tablets in my handbag in case I stay anywhere unexpectedly.

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